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Here is a picture of the Buffalo

Attachements are limited to 3 per post so I had to do another topic post

Fantastic Dick! Congratulations on some fine eating Buff! Thanks for sharing the fine deals! Looks like a great place to go. My yearling bull bison hunt is Nov 15. Hoping to do it with the 44-77 when I get a load worked up for it. Thanks for sharing!

Mike

Outstanding hunt and report. Thanks Dick.
OPS

Great feedback and photos Dick. Looks and sounds like you had a great time. Thanks for the report. I may have to wait a while for my next bison steak !

Nicely done Dick, thanks for the report on your hunt.

Nice going! I need to do that while I am still above ground and capable. I spent 5 years in the sandhills and there are no finer people anywhere and it's great country. As they say in that area "you get sand in your shoes" after awhile.

Dick,
What a great story and congrats on your hunt! Question...Are more yearlings taken than cows,bulls? I imagine that the yearling meat is the best tasting and probably more affordable to harvest. I live in Arizona and have taken many Elk, Deer, Bear, Antelope...but a Bison hunt is a once in a life time draw, so I think I will have to do what you did and go to Nebraska. Can't decide on a Bull or yearling though. Great hunt again!
Dennis

Dennis

The outfittters I have used all said that the larger majority of those harvesting Buffalo want the 1 1/2-2yr olds for two reasons, one is cost the other is the quality and quanity of meat. Bulls are sexually mature at 3 yrs and it is said by some that their meat is better before that time. Cows are said to have better meat and in general age is not a issue as far as the meat is concerned.
It was mentioned by someone in an earlier post that location the Buffalo was rasied in has as much to do with the quality of the meat as anything. I personally have found that to be true. All the buffalo I have taken have been free range, orgainic fed...no supplements or corn. Of those Buffalo, the Nebraska Sandhills buffalo have been the best in taste and meat quality. That Sandhills sweet grass must be the key factor. Local ranchers in my area of South Dakota say that Neb sweetgrass grazing cows can gain a pound a bite. Last year I took my Sandhillls Buffalo in early fall and the grass was still green and tall...I pulled a couple of sweetgrass stalk ends while we were in the field just to chew on and was suprised how sweet they were...almost like chewing on sugar cane. Rick has had a few clients that took large older bulls, including Rick himself who took one of his Herd Bulls that kept busting fence, and to the person they reported the meat was a good as any yearling they had taken in the past.
Since there is only Kristy and I, we find that 180-200lbs of boneless packaged meat from a yearling buffalo lasts us right at a year and that is eating it an average of 3 times a week...we have not bought any beef for several years. If you are only going to get one crack at Buffalo Hunting and want nice head to mount or a skull mount with nice set of horns and/or a large hair on winter hide, I would not hesitate to recommend a Nebraska Sandhills Area Grazed Buffalo for your best opportunity to also take home some quality meat....and since a 2-3 yr old is going to yield 350-450lbs of packaged meat it better be something you want to eat!
A "Yearling" refers to either a bull or cow, and right now Yearling Bulls are the primary animal harvested...buffalo meat is in such demand that the cows are being held back to increase local herds and to be sold at auction as breeding stock. Rick has not harvested a cow in the last two years for just that reason.
I hope that answers your questions.

Thanks Dick, that answers a lot!
Dennis